Summer 2009 Movie Report

Mike Matei / August 28th, 2009

With the summer coming to an end, I thought I’d give my own evaluation on all the movies I saw.

STAR TREK

The first half is a symphony of silly moments with one idiotic scene after another. The second half is satisfying action/sci-fi fare. Certainly better than some of the previous Star Trek films, but still has some work to do.

ANGELS AND DEMONS

I read Dan Brown’s Davinci Code before seeing the movie adaptation, but this one, I didn’t. Maybe that’s the reason it didn’t interest me much. It didn’t have a strong enough hook and I hated the ending. Tom Hanks’ charisma and awesome cinematography made it slightly worth seeing.

TERMINATOR: SALVATION

It’s refreshing to see a Terminator sequel without the same rehashed plot. It’s a decent sci-fi action flick. No complaints, but it has a long way to go to be a masterpiece like James Cameron’s first two Terminators. You have to take it for what it is.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

It was exactly what I expected, nothing more, nothing less. Entertaining.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

So stupid, a caveman can watch it.

THE HANGOVER

Judging from the trailer, it looked like your typical Las Vegas comedy. A guy’s getting married, goes on a bachelor party, shit happens… But this movie takes a unique angle. It was very funny and I actually cared about what was happening and anticipated the resolution.

BRUNO

Just when I thought the boundaries of R rated cinema couldn’t be pushed any further, comes the shock mockumentary Bruno. I can’t believe I witnessed a camera digitally zooming into a dick hole. Funny, but not as good as Borat.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

I never read any of the books, so I can only rate it in comparison to previous Harry Potter films.

FUNNY PEOPLE

Adam Sandler is great as always and it seems like a very personal role, but this movie rambles on for 2 1/2 hours. While I liked parts of it, I couldn’t tell where it was going. Just when I thought it was about to end, a new story line gets stamped on. Dialogue scenes wander and drag on aimlessly. Filmmakers need to wake up and learn to edit.

DISTRICT 9

Now THAT’s what I’m talking about! I went into this movie with high hopes, and not only did it meet my expectations, it completely blew me away! Consider that Terminator: Salvation and Transformers 2 cost $200 Million dollars to make! District 9 cost only $30 Million. I wasn’t even aware of that fact while seeing it, but the movie came off as having a more independent and genuine feel. This is a real work of art that blows away all the blockbusters.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

If you want to see one of the best movie villains in recent history, look no further than Christoph Waltz who plays a cunning and vicious Nazi officer. His performance deserves an award for sure. Tarantino delivers the goods again. My only complaint is that some of the scenes could have been CUT DOWN a little. I also wish the different characters would have crossed paths more. The opening scene and the final spectacle are the best moments. It’s not as great a set piece as the sword fight in Kill Bill or the car chase in Death Proof, but it’s still another memorable Tarantino scene.

I might be seeing Halloween 2, but why is that a summer movie? Release it October 1st, so it can still be playing on Halloween.